Supporting the future of Syria and the region, 30 March 2021

Background

The Fifth Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" was co-hosted virtually by the European Union and the United Nations. Extensive consultations with civil society partners were conducted in the run-up to the conference.

The Day of Dialogue event took place on 29 March 2021. It provided an interactive platform for civil society, private sector partners, Member States, inter-agency partners and ministers from the Syria region to discuss thematic priorities derived from the civil society consultations and survey.

The Ministerial event took place on 30 March 2021 and was the main pledging event for Syria and the region for the year. It was also the ninth annual international meeting on Syria following conferences in Kuwait (2013-2015), London (2016) and Brussels (2017-2020).

Click here to read the Co-Chairs' Statement.

Objectives

The overarching objective of Brussels V was to renew and strengthen the international community’s political, financial and humanitarian commitments to support the Syrian people, the neighbouring countries, and the communities most affected by the conflict. Brussels V reiterated the international community’s support for a UN-facilitated, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political solution to the conflict in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254 and the Geneva Communiqué that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. The conference had additional objectives regarding civil society, refugees and women, as follows:

Civil Society

As in previous years, Brussels V offered a unique platform for the international community to engage with the civil society from inside Syria, the diaspora and the region, reconfirming international support for these crucial actors. While the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow for a large-scale physical civil society event in Brussels this year, extensive online consultations and side events with civil society were organized. The views and recommendations gathered were presented to the conference.

Refugees

Brussels V recognized the extraordinary solidarity shown by countries and communities hosting Syrian refugees, in particular Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, and addressed the specific medium and long-term challenges that they are facing. Iraq’s and Egypt’s efforts were also highlighted.

Women

The conference reaffirmed the international community’s support for women, including women-led organizations and equal representation and participation in every aspect of the political process, noting their unique role in solving conflicts. It also highlighted the need for justice and accountability.

Humanitarian needs and requirements

In line with previous conferences, Brussels V addressed the most critical humanitarian needs affecting Syrians and communities hosting Syrian IDPs and refugees, both inside the country and in the region, notably in light of the additional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated by the regional economic crisis.

Around 13.4 million people are estimated to require some form of humanitarian and protection assistance inside Syria, 6.7 million people internally displaced, and more than 5.6 million refugees in neighbouring countries and in the broader region.

In 2021, at least US$4.2 billion is required for the Humanitarian Response Plan in Syria, and $5.8 billion is required for the Syria Regional Response Plan. Therefore, sustained engagement and ambitious pledges from international donors remain critical to ensuring that these requirements are met.

More information

For more information about the event, including registration and pledges, please visit https://bit.ly/3en0VbN. We also invite you to explore the key documents on the humanitarian response in Syria that are available on this website.